Simple Steps To Save Energy And Money
To remain competitive, businesses across New England must balance their electricity costs with their electricity needs. Knowing how you and your company are using electricity and developing effective strategies to reduce consumption will help reduce electric costs - and help maintain bulk power system reliability as well.
Insatiable Need
The simple truth is that New England's electricity demand continues to grow. Over the next decade, peak use in the summertime is expected to grow at a rate of 1.2 percent per year, which is faster than the growth rate for average use. The region will need to build at least one power plant every year just to keep up with growing consumer demand. Slowing down the growth in electricity use can also slow down the need to invest in costly power system infrastructure that is needed only a few days out of the year.
So what can businesses and institutions in Central Massachusetts do to become more energy efficient? ISO New England's Take Charge New England Web site, www.takecharge-ne.org, has some recommendations for businesses to take more control of their electricity use. They include the following:
Develop an energy plan. Once you understand how much electricity your company is using, you can take steps to reduce it. For example, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates manufacturing plants can cut 8 percent off their annual energy bills by focusing on electricity use in process heating, steam, compressed air, fan, or pumping systems.
The DOE also estimates that data centers packed with computer equipment use about 1.5 percent of all the electricity consumed in the U.S. - cutting just 10 percent off that usage could save about $740 million annually. The Department of Energy's Save Energy Now initiative, online at www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/, is designed to help businesses learn how to save energy and save money.
Conduct an energy audit. Your company may be eligible for one through your local utility. Even if you do not qualify for an energy audit, major utilities and municipal electric companies may offer financial incentives and tips for your business to become more energy efficient.
Join one of ISO New England's demand-response programs. Demand-response programs compensate customers for reducing their electricity consumption at times when resources on the bulk power grid are tight and during periods when wholesale prices are very high. ISO New England's programs are flexible enough to allow any company-large or small, manufacturing or retail-to easily exercise control over electricity use and take advantage of the programs' cost savings. More information is available at www.iso-ne.com/genrtion_resrcs/dr/.
Businesses and institutions in Central Massachusetts have the opportunity to make a significant impact on their own bottom line and the region's electricity supply if they find ways to become more energy efficient. Doing so is good business now and for the future.
Ellen Foley is director of media and corporate communications for ISO- New England, the Holyoke-based manager of the region's power grid.
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